I would like to get down to it.so apart from what is written thus far. But knowone should be suprised of the antics of the SWP
SWP member sends in cops to arrest protesting Belfast airport workers?
http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/RegionInternal.asp?NodeID=42533
This link will take you the T&GWU page with the email addresses of the union officials who are seemingly prepared to let 3 men starve on the steps of their own union building. Let them know what you think.
Mr Jimmy Kelly
Regional Secretary
Email: jimmykelly@tgwu.org.uk
Another rally has been called for tomorrow 11th April
More details:
Bobby wrote:
a wee bit of their sisters in the Socialist Party trying to get one over them though...
Unfair comment and secterian wank in my opinion. SP are the only party down here who have actually bothered to show some solidarity with the men how thats getting one over on the SWP (just cause those cunts in the ATGWU are SWP at the top) I don't know.
(Not an attack on you Bobby)
Bobby wrote:
Its a minor issue considering the struggle of the hungerstrikers and fair play to building support. Don't the SP want to become the bureocracy though..
Who the fuck cares what the SP want to become... What's that got to do with anything? The fact of the matter is they are picketing the ATGWU in Dublin and above all parties/movements they are offering the most vocal solidarity with the hungerstrikers..... But ye because their end goal is to have a dictatorship of the proleteriat lets have a go at them on the net for actually doing something...
Bobby wrote:
Its a minor issue considering the struggle of the hungerstrikers and fair play to building supportare you misunderstanding something?
It is a minor issue ye. No i'm not misunderstanding anything, I realise SP may be the most vocal as they to have something to win out of this struggle that will improve their standing among union members, I just think it's more important when union members are being taken to hospital as they are on a hunger strike due to the actions of their union, that instead of taking a cynical secterian angle and nit picking people fight the issue. Maybe considering the way SP used the Bin tax etc that may be a niave think to say then again I'm naive.
for the record I'm not a member of SP
I just think it's more important when union members are being taken to hospital as they are on a hunger strike due to the actions of their union, that instead of taking a cynical secterian angle and nit picking people fight the issue.
I agree, Thats what im trying to tell you, and why anarchists in Belfast have been at Transport House at some period every day.
in all honesty I'm not sure that a hunger strike was the best tactic, it doesn't really give you any room to move other than to step down, I also see little point in seeing the union parasites wreck your health as well as your struggle, but it's the tactics they chose and the sides are drawn, so meh.
whilst it might seem like sectarian point scoring, it should be well remembered that the SP's strategy of putting it's own candidates into the union leadership offers fuck all and infact one of the scum bags who's pitted against the hunger strikers was actually backed by the SP in his campaign, if I remember correctly. Solidarity is paramount but it shouldn't be silent or blind.
The hunger strike is now over. Apparently the union has caved in to the men's demands. It has issued a letter agreeing to pay their outstanding legal costs and any costs arising from an appeal by the employers. They have also agreed to enter into negotiations, to be completed by the end of April, over how much compensation the union will give the sacked workers.
By the way, I agree with Revol that a hunger strike is a very extreme tactic that doesn't allow for much flexibility once it is embarked on. In this particular case though the men were desperate after years and years of this shit. And it seems to have worked.
Here is the SWP's line:
http://www.swp.ie/news/pressrelease/unitemembershungerstrikeinbelfast.html
SWP wrote:
Unite members hunger strike in Belfast Print E-mail
Written by Socialist Worker
Friday, 11 April 2008
The Socialist Workers Party believes that the Belfast airport workers did a great service for the Irish labour movement when they took their company to an industrial tribunal and won a case which set a precedent against sacking union representatives because they were political activists.The case arose because an anti-union firm had tried to rid itself of organised labour and used the classic tactics of victimisation to achieve that.
ATGWU had let down these men when a union official went behind their backs and called off a strike against their company ICTS.
The SWP welcomes the fact that the present leadership of UNITE (the successors of ATGWU) has agreed to meet the full legal costs of the
tribunal case that the airport activists undertook. As members dues are at stake, the union has every right to fully examine the figures presented by the legal profession. But nevertheless the principle of covering costs has been accepted.
We also understand that the union will also underwrite the legal costs of defending against an appeal mounted by the company.
Both of these actions are important contributions to correcting past mistakes.
The current dispute between the workers and their union concerns the issue of compensation for further campaign costs and hardship endured.
The SWP believes that a process of mediation should be set up between the union officials and the victimised workers to resolve this issue.
This should involve both formal and informal face to face discussions.
If necessary, someone drawn from the ranks of organised labour should also be involved to mediate between both sides and so cut out further legal costs.
We fully recognise the pain and suffering the airport workers have endured over these many long years.
We urge them to come off the hunger and thirst strike so as not to cause themselves any more physical harm.
We also urge the union leadership to move as quickly as possible to enter mediation on the outstanding issue in dispute.
Devrim
Did this appear before or after the end of the hunger strike?
Not to worry though, either way it sounds like mealy mouthed fence-sitting from a party who didn't come along to show their solidarity with these workers. They offered no support and a last minute half arsed attempt at covering their own backs isn't gonna cut it at all.
Revolutionary socialists? These people are right wing scum supporting the scumbag bureaucrats of Unite. I mean Jim Kelly is the SWP's man in Unite after-all. It also seems they knew the contents of the solicitors letter to the hunger-strikers before the men themselves did. How else could they explain what was offered and still be urging the men to end their hunger strike. They did this almost immediately on seeing the letter themselves.
xConorx wrote:
Good stuff - any news links yet?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87141
Statement from the hunger strikers.
notch8 wrote:
The SWP should not, ever, be allowed to forget what they have done (or more correctly not done) over this past week. Especially on May day when they bring their poxy bookstall to St. Georges Market and try to play at being pro - worker.
Boul heard there mightn't be any stalls at MayDay this year in StGeorge's - Farmers Market is taking over apparently, serious.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87064
Any word on this?